Rob Gronkowski, a four-time Super Bowl champion, returned to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday to officially retire as a member of the New England Patriots, fulfilling the wish of a late friend. The Patriots legend, who played nine seasons in New England before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was honored in a ceremonial signing. His girlfriend, Camille Kostek, shares glimpses from the ceremony on Instagram.
Rob Gronkowski’s Girlfriend Shares Glimpses of Signing Event
Camille Kostek, who has been with Rob Gronkowski since 2013, posted pictures from the ceremony with the caption: ”Patriot for life ❤️🏈”
They first met during a Goodwill charity event in November 2013, where they were helping to fill turkey baskets for families in need. At the time, Kostek was a New England Patriots cheerleader and Gronkowski was a tight end for the team.
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Because of team rules prohibiting cheerleaders from dating players, Gronkowski enlisted a former teammate, Jermaine Wiggins Jr., to act as a go-between. Wiggins handed Kostek a name tag with Gronkowski’s phone number written on the back, which she waited a few days to call.
During the ceremonial signing, Patriots owner Robert Kraft welcomed Gronkowski back to sign a one-day contract. Kraft joked about a “two-day contract” since the team was about to play the New York Jets the following night. Gronkowski joked back, saying, “Let’s do it! What’s the signing bonus?”
The event was also a tribute to Susan Hurley, a longtime friend of Gronkowski and charity partner who recently passed away from cancer. Hurley, a former Patriots cheerleader and founder of CharityTeams, had requested that Gronkowski retire officially as a Patriot. Gronkowski called honoring her wish an “absolute no-brainer” and said the day meant a lot to him.
He called his first Super Bowl win in 2015 against the Seattle Seahawks his favorite memory, citing both the game and the celebration that followed.
“I’m a Patriot for life. My career started here and 100% needed to end here,” Gronkowski said after the ceremonial signing, via ESPN. “The whole ‘Gronk’ persona, everything about myself, was all because of the fans of New England, and my teammates and everyone else here accepting me from the beginning.”
Drafted by the Patriots in 2010, Gronkowski was among the NFL’s greatest tight ends, recording 92 receiving touchdowns, third all-time for his position, and 9,286 receiving yards, ranking sixth among tight ends.